17:20 “I am not praying 11 only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe 12 in me through their testimony, 13
1 sn That is, “to judge the world to be guilty and liable to punishment.”
2 tn Grk “this one.”
3 tn Grk “but so that.” There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: “but [he was born blind] so that” or “but [it happened to him] so that.”
4 tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”
5 tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”
6 tn Grk “in him.”
7 tn Since the Greek phrase εἰσέρχομαι καὶ ἐξέρχομαι (eisercomai kai exercomai, “come in and go out”) is in some places an idiom for living or conducting oneself in relationship to some community (“to live with, to live among” [cf. Acts 1:21; see also Num 27:17; 2 Chr 1:10]), it may well be that Jesus’ words here look forward to the new covenant community of believers. Another significant NT text is Luke 9:4, where both these verbs occur in the context of the safety and security provided by a given household for the disciples. See also BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b.β.
8 sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.
9 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
10 tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”
11 tn Or “I do not pray.”
12 tn Although πιστευόντων (pisteuontwn) is a present participle, it must in context carry futuristic force. The disciples whom Jesus is leaving behind will carry on his ministry and in doing so will see others come to trust in him. This will include not only Jewish Christians, but other Gentile Christians who are “not of this fold” (10:16), and thus Jesus’ prayer for unity is especially appropriate in light of the probability that most of the readers of the Gospel are Gentiles (much as Paul stresses unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Eph 2:10-22).
13 tn Grk “their word.”